I Love My Dragon
by EmonyJade
Summary: Not all magical creatures are created equal. George learns this as he recovers and finds friendship and love after the worst day of his life. George/OC fic.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first attempt at writing a Harry Potter story. I just love George so much, I had to write a story about him. It might be kinda slow at first, but it's necessary in order to get a little back story. Let me know what you think. I don't own Harry Potter...duh...

Enjoy

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**The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures **

**Species 523: Dracon**

Humanoid species evolved from dragons. Capable of shifting from human, to dragon, to human/dragon hybrid at will. Believed to be immune to most magic. Relationship with wizards is civil at best. Though considered magical creatures, most prefer to exist outside of the wizarding world. Accurate population count has never been established. All other details unclear.

No further information available.

**End of File**

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**Two days before the birth of Harry Potter...**

Albus Dumbledore sat patiently at a large wooden table in a very traditional looking meeting room. He might have even mistaken it for a normal meeting room if he didn't know it was located in a vast cave dug out of the side of a mountain. The Dracon always did enjoy higher elevations.

The ministry wished to confirm the Dracon's position in regards to Voldemort. Traditionally, Dracons remained neutral to wizarding affairs, but the situation was much too serious to leave anything to chance. If there was to be a war, the minister of magic did not want the European Dracon community to side with the enemy. Also, if they could be swayed to support the ministry, all the better. Albus doubted it would happen, but it was worth a try.

It had taken weeks to arrange a meeting with the Dracon leadership.

In general, Dracons were difficult to find, and even if you managed to find one, it would be only by sheer luck that you'd be able to arrange a formal audience with one of their leading councils. They didn't like magical folk much and preferred to keep their distance from the magical world as a whole. Because of this, very little was known about them. The details we did know were sketchy and unconfirmed.

It was because of their reluctance to be around magic that Albus doubted they would ever fight on Voldemort's side or their side, for that matter.

Albus looked up as a very formal looking young woman walked in. She was slender, but still had the athletic build often found in her species. She looked very human, standing somewhere around 6 feet tall, with long red hair. Unlike humans, however, she had red eyes, red fingernails and her skin tone had a red sheen to it, since every hair on her body was the same shade of vibrant red. It was assumed that Dracons could look just like any other human, if they wished to blend in, but this one had no need to hide what she was. She was a red Dracon and very proud of it.

I stood, taking the hand she offered me.

"Albus Dumbledore, I presume." She said in greeting. "I am Sabrina Raylan. I am a member of the European Dracon ruling council. Please sit." She motioned for me to return to my seat and I did.

"It is nice to meet you, Ms. Raylan." I replied as she took a seat across from me at the table.

She laughed lightly. "Regardless of the hoops you had to jump through to arrange this meeting, there is no need for the formality. You may call me Sabrina."

"I'm honored that you agreed to meet with me. I know it is highly unusual."

She smiled at me apologetically. "I do apologize that I am the only member of the council to meet with you." She shrugged. "I suppose there is no need to sugar coat it. The others had no interest in rearranging their schedules to meet with a wizard. We are a civilized people, but our manners can sometimes be lacking. Our seclusion has made us a bit xenophobic, I'm afraid."

I chuckled at Sabrina's honesty. "So, you...I think i'm saying the phrase correctly...drew the short straw?"

"No, it was nothing like that. I happened to have several meetings here today. I also believe it would be rude to completely ignore your request, when you worked so hard to get here. Though, I am curious, what could be so important?"

"The ministry of magic would like to inquire on your position as it pertains to a certain dark lord currently causing havoc among the wizarding community."

"Ah, I see. You want to know if we're backing the enemy. And if we're not, if we'd be interested in backing you." She sighed, folding her hands together on the table.

"You are correct." I confirmed.

"We are as we have been, and that is neutral to your war. We are not involved and will remain that way, I can assure you." She leaned in closer to me, speaking quietly, as if sharing a secret. "I am curious, though, is this Lord Voldemort really as dangerous as your people believe?"

I was momentarily surprised that she knew his name. So many people refused to use it. Sabrina seemed to sense my surprise.

"Surprised I know his name? Remember, my friend, my people are elusive, not ignorant. We keep an ear open to the world around us, we simply choose to stay out of it. You had to have known the futility of this meeting from the beginning. This individual must be truly terrible for you to take the time and energy needed to arrange a meeting, simply to confirm our non involvement."

"True, I did see the futility of my actions, but setting up a meeting was the easiest and fastest way to get the ministry off my back about it. People are scared and if confirming your neutrality helps put some of their minds at ease, then my time will have been well spent. Besides, I would be a fool to turn down an opportunity such as this, to speak with members of the European Dracon ruling council. I must say, your kind have always been a curiosity to me."

"Well then, we both gain from our time. You have received your intel and the experience of talking with one of my kind and I get to sit through a meeting far more interesting than the one I will continue once we leave here."

The door to the room opened and a small child walked in. She couldn't have been more than 2 years old. The child was as blue as Sabrina was red, with long bright blue hair. She marched right up to Sabrina, holding her arms out.

"Well, well, look who escaped from her room." Sabrina smiled, picking up the child. "Where is nanny Ge, Sweetie?"

The Child giggled, pointing at the door where she just walked in. Sabrina sighed, turning to me.

"Please excuse the interruption. This is my daughter, Daniella. She thinks it's funny to run away from her nanny and find me when I'm working."

I stood from my seat and stretched. "No apology needed. I believe we were near a close to our meeting anyway. It seems to have been a very fruitful day so far."

The door to the room opened wider, as a older woman came in. She appeared to be quite upset and out of breath. Her hair and eyes were blue as well.

"There you are, you little sneak." She said to the child in Sabrina's arms. "You know you're not supposed to bother your mother when she's working. I'm sorry about this, Sabrina, Dani is just getting so darned fast."

Sabrina didn't look angry at all. She simply smiled at the older woman, handing the girl over to her. "It's fine, Ge. My meeting is about over anyway. Take her out to the lobby and I'll be out shortly to have lunch with her."

Ge left with the squirming infant.

"They do grow up so fast." Sabrina said, more to herself, as she watched them leave. "Do you have any children?"

"Alas, no, but I do work for a school." We began to migrate to the door. "I do understand what it means to watch a child grow up before your eyes. May I ask you a personal question? If it's too personal, you don't need to answer."

"Sure." Sabrina replied as we walked slowly down the hall. "I think you have earned the right to ask a few questions before you depart."

"I'm guessing your daughter is a blue Dracon and you are most definitely red. Is the color of your children related to the color of the parents or is it random?"

"That's a complicated question. Our children can only be born one of the colors that is in either parent's bloodline. A long time ago, it was tradition for like colors to marry, so most reds had red children, blues had blue children, etc. These days, most families are so varied in color that the children can be born any of the 5 colors. It may seem very random, but the genetic rules are the same. For example, I am a red Dracon and my husband is a black Dracon. Dani, obviously, isn't either red or black, but there is blue Dracon in both of our family bloodlines."

I listened intently as Sabrina spoke, my hands held behind my back. "Fascinating. And a child is born one distinct color? There are never any variations or mixes of the five colors?"

Sabrina sighed, hanging her head slightly. "It does happen every so often, we call it Bicolor syndrome. Unfortunately, any baby born with it only survives for a week, two at most. It's very sad. Our scientists have yet to explain why the blending happens or why a healthy multi color baby has never been born. I'm afraid it is one of life's big mysteries. The strangest part is that even though blended color families are the norm now, it doesn't seem to have increased the occurrence of this condition. There are two or three births a year with Bicolor syndrome and it's been that way since the beginning of written record. It doesn't matter if the entire family is one color, or if all five colors are represented. It's an entirely random genetic disorder."

"Interesting."

We walked into the lobby to find Ge, Sabrina's nanny, trying to stuff all of the child's toys into a bag. The baby was nowhere in sight.

"Ge, where's Dani?" Sabrina asked, not really concerned. Apparently, the young girl was always running off.

Ge sighed loudly, looking around quickly. "I need a leash for that child. I'm getting too old for chasing around little ones."

Sabrina smiled at the comment, but then a look of horror spread across her face. I turned to look where she was looking and saw Dani standing by one of the many full room height windows of the lobby, which faced the opening of the cave. The window was open and the child was a mere step from walking out the window and off the cliff. Sabrina screamed and raced towards her child.

I knew little about Dracon children, but I was fairly certain they could not fly at such a young age. I pulled out my wand and whispered a quiet spell. The window slowly closed, knocking Dani down, but very much safe from her parel. She began to wail. Between her crying and Sabrina's scream, the few people working in the office came out to see what was happening. A green Dracon behind me cursed to himself as he stepped forward.

By now, Sabrina had reached her daughter, holding her tightly. Dani sobbed into her mother's chest as she was carried to where I stood. Sabrina looked livid, but she wasn't looking at me, but rather the green Dracon who had cursed behind me.

"Why are the child proof locks not on the lobby windows!" She yelled, getting into the man's face. "Daniella could have died, Chase!"

"Well...I...I...I had this paper to write...and...and..." Chase stammered.

"And it was more important than my daughter's life! I asked you to put in the locks two months ago when I started to bring Dani here. You couldn't find an hour in your busy schedule in the last two months to do as I asked!"

"I'm sorry, councilor, I'll do it right now."

Sabrina almost growled as she watched the green Dracon flee quickly to the back. I had a bad feeling he wouldn't be working here much longer. Her features softened, however, as she turned back to me.

"I take it I have you to thank for the window closing before Daniella fell?"

I smiled at her and nodded.

"I am in your debt, Albus Dumbledore, please wait right here." She walked off down a hallway, followed by Ge. A few moments later Sabrina returned alone. She took my hand and placed a small red gemstone in it.

"This is a summoning stone. Members of a family will carry them for emergencies. I'd like you to have one from my family. If you are ever in dire need, just wrap the stone completely in your hand and think my full name, Sabrina Dae Raylan, and the gem I carry will summon me. It will allow me to find you. This is the best I can give as payment for your actions today."

I looked at the small gemstone in wonder. I had heard rumor of the Dracon code of honor and debt. This was just further evidence of the strong sense of honor held by these people.

"I am honored, Sabrina. I promise to only use this if my need is desperate."

We were relatively quiet walking to the location where I could apparate out of the cave, but she thanked me one last time before I left.

Once I returned home, I placed the gemstone Sabrina gave me in a safe location. I didn't intend to ever use the gem, but it felt good to know that I now had a link to one of the most elusive species in the wizarding world.

To Be Continued...

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So, what do you think. Not a very exciting start, but all good stories have to start somewhere. The next chapter will fast forward to the time of the sixth book. Let me know what you think. I love reviews.


	2. Chapter 2

Welcome to chapter 2. Hope you enjoy your stay. I'm sorry there is no George yet, but I need to establish the OC character before I can bring him in. Don't worry, there will be all kinds of Georgie goodness in here. I don't own Harry Potter...

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**16 years later...**

**Dani POV**

"Mother, why are you being so difficult about this?"

My mom crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me the way only a mother could. "Why are you being so persistent? It's my debt."

I huffed in frustration. "It's MY debt, mom. I'm the one he saved. It's only right that the debt be transferred to me."

My mother sighed, being just as frustrated as I was, as she paced around the kitchen. This wasn't a new topic. I had started bugging her about letting me meet the wizard who saved my life all those years ago when I turned 18. That was six months ago and she had yet to cave. I looked over at my father, who was sitting at the kitchen table reading a newspaper and doing his best to ignore us.

"Can't you talk to her, Dad? You agree with me about this."

He sighed and lowered the paper, his black eyes sympathetic. "I've told your mother my opinion on the matter. It's between the two of you, now. I'm out." He raised the paper back up. I didn't have to see his face to know he was smiling. He found it amusing when mother and I faught.

"Come on, mother, what possible harm could it do just to go meet him? I'm almost an adult and should be responsible for my own debts."

My mother joined my father at the table, looking tired. "Daniella, there are some really bad things happening in the magical world right now. It's very possible he may ask you to get involved and I don't want you getting mixed up with it. You're not 21 yet and you could get hurt or killed."

This was the one part of my mother's argument that made sense to me. It was true, I was only 18 and I wouldn't come into my full powers until I reached 21, so the chances I could get hurt increased if I tried to do something dangerous, but I was willing to take the risk. I was still mostly immune to magic and in Dracon form I was still almost entirely impervious. She was just being overly protective. Besides, the wizard might not ask me to do anything. I just wanted to formally introduce myself and inform him that the debt has been moved from my mother to me. I continued to look at my mother, pleading with my eyes. We sat like that for many minutes.

"Fine." My mother finally stated, almost angrily, getting up from her seat. She made her way into the living room, where we kept our family summoning stones in a small wooden box. She pulled one out, wrapping it in her left hand. She closed her eyes and was silent for a moment. Opening her hand, I saw that the stone was now glowing. She handed the gem to me and as soon as it hit my skin, I began to hear a faint hum. "The hum is a tracer. The closer you are to the gem the wizard possesses, the louder the hum will get." Mother grabbed my shoulder and looked me square in the eyes. "Please be careful."

I smiled at her, giving her a hug. "Thank you. I promise, I'll be careful. Beyond careful."

I rushed out of the house, eager to meet my very first wizard. How was I supposed to know that this was the moment that would change my life forever.

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**Albus D. POV**

I sat in my office, deep in thought. I found myself doing this often these days. Things were happening much too quickly and soon I would be gone and Harry would truly be on his own.

Harry had handled himself with intelligence and courage so far, but the worst has yet to come. The young man, however, was smart and brave and reasonably talented with magic. If he kept his two friends close by during his toils, the wizarding world might just survive.

I could hear a tapping on the window behind me, pulling me from my musing. I turned around, expecting to see an owl but instead finding a Dracon effortlessly hovering outside my window. Surprised, I got up and opened the window. The Dracon landed on the windowsill, folded her wings tight behind her and stepped inside. Once inside, she took a more human shape. She was young, probably still a teenager, with long blue hair and blue eyes to match. I instantly knew who she was.

"You're Daniella, aren't you?" I asked.

She smiled at my recognition. "So you do remember me."

I began to usher her to the chair across from my desk. "Of course I do. It's not everyday that a wizard meets a Blue Dracon. Please, have a seat. Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please. That would be nice." She took a seat, straightening her hair. "I'm sorry to literally drop in on you, but I finally convinced my mother to let me track you down."

I magically produced a pot of tea and two cups on my desk, poured one for each of us, and flooded one of the cups to Daniella. This made her smile again.

"It's amazing how you do that." She took her cup, taking a sip "Thank you."

"You are most welcome." I took a seat behind my desk, taking a sip of my tea as well. "I have to say, getting a visit from you is quite a surprise. I was fairly confident I would never see you again."

"My mother would have liked that, but a debt is a debt and since it was my life you saved, and I'm old enough to make my own decisions, the debt is mine to repay. I tracked you down to let you know about the change. I also know a little about what's going on in your world and I wanted to see if there was any way I can help, since I do owe you."

I thought about it for a moment. It would be wrong to ask another young person to fight the war I would soon be removed from, but we could use all the help we could get. Not to mention that Dracons were known for their durability, fierceness and their almost total immunity to magic. She could be a valuable ally, but at what cost?

"There is something you can do, but I don't want you to do it because of some debt. I consider the debt paid. If you decide to help, I want it to be because you choose to, not because honor forces you to."

Daniella leaned back into her chair, seemingly interested. "And what, exactly, can I do to help?"

We spend the next 2 hours talking about the wizarding world. I started at the beginning with Lily and James Potter and how Harry defeated Voldemort the first time and continued on to the present. I included the condition with my hand and my arrangement with Snape for my death. It surprised me that the news of our plan didn't seem to shock her at all.

"So, let me see if I got this straight. You're counting on a 16 year old child to defeat the most powerful dark wizard out there, by himself, and you won't even be there to see it, since you'll be dead in a few weeks at the hand of your agent, so his place with this dark lord can be solidified. Interesting. I'm sorry to say it, but I really don't think the odds are on your side."

"True, but stranger things have happened."

"And how exactly do you wish me to help?"

"Things are gonna get worse before they can get better. If you wish to help, you should do it in your own way. A way you're comfortable with. This is the reason I ask for your help, not demand it as part of the debt. Things are going to get more violent soon. I just ask that you help protect the innocent. Wizard or Muggle. You don't have to answer me. You know what's happening now, what's at stake. If you choose to fight with us, your help would be greatly appreciated by the Order and by all those whose lives you would save."

Dani sat quietly, contemplating my words. "You've given me much to consider, Albus. I may just help out your people, maybe." She stood, stretching slightly. "I must be going. It's getting late and I have some thinking to do." She took my good hand in hers. "It feels strange, having just met you, that this will probably be the last time I see you alive."

"Indeed. I must say, it is both terrifying and calming to know when you'll die. I'm pleased I got a chance to meet you. You seem to have become an amazing young woman."

She smiled at me sweetly, giving me a kiss on the cheek. "May peace find you in your final moments." She then jumped out the window, shifting forms in midair and was gone.

To Be Continued...

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Sorry for any errors in the writing. I'm pretty much relying on spell check and my own proofreading on my stories. Let me know what you think so far.


	3. Chapter 3

Woo Hoo two chapters in one night! I must be crazy...or at least crazier than I use to be...anyway, hope you like. Bit of violence in the end of this chap. Not much, but some. As always, don't own HP.

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**Dani POV**

I stood in the back of the funeral. I was shifted to my human camouflage, with all of my blue features currently a medium brown, except my eyes, which were still the same vibrant blue they always were. I blended in well with the rest of the mourners.

It had only been two weeks since my meeting with Albus Dumbledore and now he was dead, having been murdered by one of this trusted friends, as per plan.

I took note of all the people present, since these were the people I planned to help and protect.

It had only taken me half the flight home that night to decide that I must help the magic users. When I got home, I told my parents everything. They weren't happy with my decision. My father respected it, but mother just mumbled something about damned blue Dracon genes as she left the room. Blue Dracons traditionally had more empathy towards others than the other Dracon colors. It's what made us good doctors and caretakers.

I had spent the last few days mingling in the wizarding world, gaining knowledge. In this case, knowledge was power and I needed to be as powerful as possible. I wasn't sure what I was going to do for the cause yet, but this was as good a place to start as any.

As the service began to disperse, I saw the messy haired young man with a lightning bolt scar on his forehead Albus had told me about. I was betting he had no clue just how important he was in the eyes of most of the magic community.

Once the crowd had dissolved almost completely, I wandered off towards the forest, shifting to Dracon form as soon as I was clear from view. I flew off towards the mountains, skimming the tops of the trees to keep hidden.

I had moved out of my parent's house temporarily, choosing to live in the cave community many Dracons between the age of 18 and 25 favored. The caves were man made, the openings almost invisible to the naked eye, but the inside very much resembled that of a traditional house. It would serve to keep my parents out of the line of fire during this time and also serve as protection for me. Anything I decided to do against the enemy would no doubt anger some of the bad guys, but even Voldemort himself would be a fool to try and attack a community of Dracons.

Once safely at home, I contemplated what my next move should be. Apparently, Dumbledore was the only man the dark lord feared. With him dead, things would no doubt go from bad to worse very quickly. I had a bad feeling that the war was now officially on.

"The man wanted me to protect people." I mused out loud, pacing around my livingroom. "To save lives. I can't just wander around and wait for the enemy to attack the innocent. I need to hunt them out. Take the fight to them...or draw them to me."

This was going to take more research, but I'd find a way.

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**Dani POV**

**Several Weeks Later...**

I walked slowly down the sidewalk, doing my best to look like a frightened, innocent witch. I had found the easiest way to lure in snatchers was to look unimposing. Those fools loved to pick up the easy prey. I focused my gaze on the sidewalk, my cloak wrapped tightly around me. It had taken a few tries, but I had managed to master my magic look, as I called it. I mimicked a magic user quite well, if I did say so myself.

I only had to walk for a few minutes on the deserted street before I caught just the attention I was hoping for. Two snatchers strutted up to me, full of themselves and overly excited that they just found some easy money. I sighed in frustration as I got a clear view of the men. I had used this trick two other times, both times resulting in the snatchers getting beaten and left bleeding in the street. I had hoped this would prevent them from continuing their crusade, but the two men coming towards me were two of the guys I had already beaten up once. What was surprising was that these two idiots didn't even seem to recognise me.

"Well, well, well, looking what we have here, Kel. Looks like a little witch who has lost her way. What do you think her blood status is?"

"Looks like a Mudblood to me, Josh."

I growled softly. I'd had it with these fools. I allowed my blue color back into my appearance and let my eyes turn reptilian. They couldn't see my transformation behind the hood of my cloak. My back was to them when they stopped a foot away.

I laughed quietly, not looking at them. "You two geniuses got me. My parents were not magic users."

"See, told ya." The one named Kel replied. "Just another filthy Mudblood."

"You're wrong. I'm not a magic user either, or a muggle." I slowly turned around, taking down my hood. I gave them a piercing look with my dragon eyes. With lightening speed, I grabbed both of them around the throat, holding them a few inches above the ground with ease. They tried to break free of my grip, but they had no hope of that. I was much stronger then they were. "And now you die."

With a flick of my wrists and a muffled scream the two men dropped to the ground, necks broken.

I took a deep breath and calmed myself, turning my features back to my human disguise. I smiled down at the two dead men, putting my hood back up. I bent down and took their wands, stuffing them in my pocket, then casually walked off.

Surprisingly, I didn't feel any guilt or remorse from performing my first murders. This was war and trying to bully the enemy into submission was not going to work. I needed to step things up and this was how I was going to do it.

The life of anyone who served old Baldy was now considered forfeit and subject to immediate extermination...

To Be Continued...

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There will be a couple of known characters in the next chapter. I'm starting to integrate my OC into the story.


	4. Chapter 4

Here we are at chapter 4. There will be some familiar faces in this one...and chapter 5 will finally have George in there too. Enjoy.

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**Dani POV**

I stood in a small park, human disguise on, waiting.

Over the last few weeks, I had taken my new war technique to heart. I had killed 30 servants of the dark lord without even breaking a sweat. The only problem was that I had only managed to attract low men. Peons. I wanted to make a more significant impact, but wasn't sure how to do it. That is until I stumbled on an intriguing bit of gossip. Apparently, if a person says old baldy's name out loud, deatheaters show up minutes later.

These were my new targets and I was about to test my theory.

"Voldemort." I whispered.

All I could hear was the wind blowing through the trees. At first I thought nothing was going to happen, but then I heard three distinct pops and standing before me where three deatheaters, black cloaks and all. I smiled to myself. Perfect.

"Brave little witch, using the dark lord's name so carelessly." The biggest of the three said, taking a few steps towards me. "Order member, perhaps?"

I stood completely still and didn't speak.

"What's wrong, sweetie, not going to run?" Said the second largest of the three. "Not even going to take out your wand?"

I stood completely still and didn't speak.

The third deatheater, the smallest and only woman, walked slowly around me, as if to come at me from behind. "Aww, she's scared stiff." She sneered. "Or maybe she's just stupid."

I turned my head to watch her move and smiled, chuckling.

"The bitch thinks this is funny." Said the big guy. "Let's just finish her and be done with it. She's not worth our time."

The smaller guy shouted a spell and green light rushed from his wand, hitting me square on the chest. It stung a little, knocking me back a step, but did no damage. All three deatheaters stood speechless, looking at each other. Obviously, the spell hadn't done what they had all expected.

I took that opportunity, while the three were still frozen with confusion, to shift to Dracon form. I swung my prehensile tail around, catching the big guy with my stinger. He instantly dropped, screaming. The second guy ducked my tail, but as I continued to swing in a wide circle, I caught the female around the neck, holding her in place. She began to choke, dropping her wand in the process of trying to remove my tail from her neck.

With two of my opponents immobilized, I turned to the third, smiling at him evilly.

He lifted his wand and fired the same spell he used the first time. The green light hit me again, but only caused a sharp sting, like before. I laughed.

"Did you honestly think it would work better the second time around? Old baldy really is scrapping the bottom of the barrel for his minions, isn't he?"

He turned to flee, forgetting that he had the ability to disappear. I caught him, wrapping my arms around his torso. He dropped his wand and tried his best to get away. In the background, you could hear his fellow deatheater screaming in agony as he rolled around on the ground, suffering the effects of my venom. The woman still held by my tail had stopped moving. Her heart was still racing, but it wouldn't be for long.

Just as I was about the finish off the last guy, who was still struggling in vain to escape my grasp, I heard footsteps approaching. I turned to see two people, obviously wizards by their dress, coming towards me. I tensed for a moment until I got a good look at them. I recognized them from Dumbledore's funeral. They had to be members of the Order, or at the very least, on my side.

By this time, the woman was dead. I loosened my tail, allowing her still form to fall to the ground. The man on the ground was still screaming, but his flailing was getting slower. I sighed, knowing it was time to end this.

I brought my lips to the ear of the guy I held and whispered. "You picked the wrong side." I then crushed him effortlessly, throwing his dead body down next the woman. I turned to the newcomers.

It was a man and woman. If they hadn't been wearing long cloaks and holding wands, you could have mistaken them for a married couple taking a nice stroll through the park. I stayed in a defensive position and waited for them to make a move. They, obviously, witnessed my little massacre and wisely approached me with caution.

"We mean you no harm." The man said, lowering his wand, but not putting it away. "I believe we are on the same side."

"Indeed we are." I replied. "I saw both of you at Dumbledore's funeral." I looked behind me, as the only deatheater still alive was about to join his friends. I turned my back to the newcomers, kneeling by the man. By this time, he had blood running from his ears, eyes and nose.

"What did you do to him?" Asked the witch.

"I stuck him with my stinger. I'm quite venomous, you see. It's a powerful necrotizing chemical which, in humans, travels into your head and liquefies your brain. It's interesting. I've never actually used it before. The results really are stunning, don't you think."

"That's one word for it." Commented the man, sounding slightly disgusted.

Once the final deatheater breathed his last breath and lay still, I shifted to a more human form. I collected the discarded wands, pocketing them as trophies, then took a few steps closer to the witch and wizard. I could tell my methods of exterminating the enemy disturbed them just a little.

"You do this often?" The wizard asked, motioning towards the dead bodies behind me.

"As often as I can."

"I thought Dracons stayed neutral to wizarding world affairs."

I chuckled. "They do. I don't. I promised Albus before he died that I would do what I could to protect those that need protecting." I motioned behind me. "This is how I do it and don't look at me like that. If those three were still alive, they'd be trying to kill you. You hear all about the deaths on our side, but never hear about the reverse. Why are the good guys always so squeamish about killing?"

I shifted back to my Dracon form. "Silly wizards. I just don't understand you." I said as I took off. I didn't really feel like arguing morality with a couple of magic users. I was going to have a tough enough time dealing with the mental ramifications to my actions when this was all over, so I didn't need to start thinking about it.

At least not yet...

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**Remus POV**

Tonks and I had just left a meeting with the rest of the order when we heard the screams.

Usually screams of pain mean that some supporter of Voldemort was torturing some innocent soul. We only paused for a moment before we pulled out our wands and rushed towards the sound, ready to assist.

To our surprise, it wasn't some helpless citizen screaming, but rather a deatheater. He was rolling around on the ground, blood running out of his ears. There were two other death eaters there, both in the clutches of a Dracon.

I had never seen a flesh and blood Dracon before. This one was female, standing around 6 to 6 1/2 feet tall and was bright blue. Her tail was wrapped around one deatheater's neck, while she had her arms wrapped around a second. We watched as she quickly killed the two people in her grasp, then stood back and watched as the man on the ground thrashed and suffered for a few minutes before mercifully dying.

She only stuck around for a few moments longer before taking flight and was gone.

"Well, that was unexpected." Tonks stated, taking a final look around before stowing her wand. "We should get going before more deatheaters show up."

We hurried off, moments later arriving at the safe house where we were staying.

"It's amazing, Dumbledore actually managed to convince a Dracon to fight for us. Her techniques are a little extreme." I sat down in an armchair, Tonks taking a chair across from me.

"Extreme, yes, but also effective. At least she's on our side." Tonks replied. My wife was always the practical one.

I sat quietly and thought about what the Dracon had said, about wizards on our side being squeamish. I didn't think of myself as squeamish when it came to fighting this war. If they were going to try and kill me, I'd try and kill them, but where did torture fit in the equation?

"Do you think I'm squeamish for feeling sorry for the deatheater who was stuck with the Dracon venom? I have no problem killing for our cause, but that wasn't killing, that was torture."

Tonks came up to me, sitting in my lab and wrapping me in a hug.

"It was disturbing to watch. It doesn't make us squeamish, it makes us human. Remember, we know next to nothing about Dracons. They don't see things the same way we do. I'd just be happy she's on our side and leave it be."

I nodded. She was right, but the sound and image of that dying man would be haunting my sleep tonight.

To Be Continued...


	5. Chapter 5

It's time to welcome the twins to this party! Woo Hoo! Let me know what you think. Enjoy.

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**George POV**

Life was far less entertaining now that the ministry was being ran by the bad guys.

Fred and I were forced to close down the store, running things through owl order instead. It was encouraging that people still wanted our products in these tough times. Sometimes you just have to laugh to keep sane.

We also did our best to keep potterwatch up and running. It was important for people to get updates on what was happening in the world without being censored and we felt it was up to us to do just that. Finally our talents at being sneaky were coming in handy.

Lee, Fred and I simply apparate in and out of our constantly moving operation and have been very successful at remaining undiscovered, at least so far. It was sad how no one walked the streets anymore. It just wasn't safe.

Fred and I knew this, but yet we still found ourselves walking around just outside the build we had just used to broadcast our program. This was a mistake. We walked around the corner and came face to face with three guys who were obviously up to no good and unfortunately knew who we were. It sucks being labeled as blood traitors.

They didn't say anything at first, just pointed their wands at us and laughed. Neither of us had our wands out and making a move for them would be suicide. Our second mistake.

"Looks like we found our payday, boys." One of them said. "Blood traitors are almost as good and mudbloods."

Before Fred or I could think of anything to say, a shadow came down from the roof above us. Moments later, a Blue Dracon stood beside us, smiling.

The three guys swore and disapparated without so much as a second look.

"Old baldy's minions are so spineless. It's not even fun anymore. You two OK?" She asked, turning to us as her shape changed. Standing with us now was a beautiful woman with long blue hair and intense blue eyes to match.

"Yeah, thanks for that." Fred said calmly, for the first time talking to a woman without putting any of his usual charm into his voice.

"Not a problem." She replied. "I've gotten a bit of a reputation with those type of people, I'm afraid. You kill enough of the enemy and they stop attacking and start running. My name is Daniella, by the way."

"I'm George and this is my brother Fred. You're a Dracon, right?"

She did a slight bow. "You got it! It's nice to meet both of you." She looked around us, as if looking for someone to jump out from behind a building. "Not that I don't want to be friendly or anything, but you two better get going. Sometimes the ones who run away scared come right back with reinforcements. Stay safe." Daniella then shifted back to her winged form and jumped into the air.

Fred and I took her advice and didn't stick around. We left immediately for Shell Cottage, where we were to meet up with our parents and other members of the Order. Upon our arrival, our mother ran out, collecting both of us into her arms. Mom was in a constant state of worry these days, with her children scattered over hell and creation.

She ushered us into the cottage, where Remus, Tonks and our father were already seated around the small kitchen table.

"Well, that was an interesting adventure." Fred said, taking a chair next to Remus. I took the glasses of pumpkin juice mom held out for us, handing one to Fried as I joined him at the table. "We got attacked by some snatchers and were saved by a Dracon."

This made Remus and Tonks perk up a little.

"Let me guess, it was a Blue Dracon female." Remus said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"You've seen her too?" I asked, surprised.

"After the last meeting. Remus and I were were walking home when we stumbled on her killing three deatheaters. She recognized us from Dumbledore's funeral."

"Probably a good thing she recognized us, since she could have killed both of us just as easy as those deatheaters if she wanted to. Dracons are immune to direct magic, or at least that is what is believed. Most of what is known about them is speculation." Remus added, taking another sip of his coffee. "The fact that Dumbledore managed to get one to fight for us says a great deal about his character. Makes me wonder how he met her."

"We'll probably have a chance to ask eventually. If she's working for Dumbledore, I'm sure we'll run into her again." Dad added.

"She says her name is Daniella." Fred added. "Rather attractive woman."

Remus sighed. "True, but we must be cautious around her, attractive or not. She's capable of some really terrifying things, borderline immoral. I know it's war and we must be ready to do what must be done to survive, but poisoning someone, then standing back and watching them die a slow, painful death, like she was observing a science fair project is beyond the rules of war."

This gave us all pause. I couldn't see it, that beautiful woman standing before us, enjoying the torture she was inflicting. It didn't seem possible.

"But we need to remember, Remus, that she isn't human. She may be capable of looking human and acting human, but the simple fact is, this Daniella isn't human. We know very little about Dracons, as a species. This might just be how they wage war. Her methods might bother us, but it's not our place to scrutinize her."

"Well, if she's willing to save the people I love, then she's alright in my book." Mom replied, taking a seat next to me. "We can use all the help we can get, regardless the form it comes in or the methods she chooses to use."

We stopped talking and just processed what had been said. Mom was right. This Dracon might be enjoying her part in this war more than we might like, but she was on our side. The way things were going, we really couldn't afford to be picky about our allies.

To Be Continued...


	6. Chapter 6

Welcome to chapter 6. I'm really enjoying writing this story. As the chapters progress, more and more of the familiar faces will start to show up. This one has more interaction between the OC and the twins. Fun Fun. Hope you like. I don't own HP and please please please review. I haven't even gotten one yet! I'm gonna cry!

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**Dani POV**

I sat quietly just on the edge of what the wizards called the forbidden forest, watching Hogwarts. Over the last couple of months, I had managed to befriend some of the students and teachers who were doing their best to rebel against the dark lord. One young man in particular, named Neville, was truly impressive in his resolve. A born leader, that one was.

After the break in of the wizard bank and the rumors that Harry Potter was in the area, I had taken to hanging out near the school every night. I had this feeling that something big was about to happen and I wouldn't be surprised if it happened here. A final battle was brewing. I could feel it. I think everyone could.

Every night I sat in the dark, invisible to wandering eyes, and watched. Watched for any sign of activity out of the norm. I figured I'd know something was up when I saw it. It was tedious work, but it had to be done.

The darkness of night was almost complete, when movement outside one of the castle windows caught my attention. It looked to be a black cloud breaking through the window I knew to be that of the great hall. I watched as the cloud skirted around the side of the castle and out of sight. To be honest, I didn't know if it was normal for black clouds to erupt from a magical castle, but figured it was better to be safe and do a flyby.

I stayed low to the ground on my approach, trying to get as close to the window as I could without alerting the people inside to my presence. I clung to the side of the castle, just below the broken window and listened closely.

I could hear McGonagall talking to Harry Potter. I smiled to myself. I had been right, when the shit hits the fan, this was going to be the place and it was going to happen soon. I crawled around on the outside wall of the castle, deciding it was best to stay out of the air if I wanted to remain hidden. I slowly made my way down to the front entrance of the castle. I watched as McGonagall and several other adult wizards I did not know came out and began to cast spells at the sky. I swung around and hung upside down by my tail from the rod over the entrance way. My sudden appearance startled a couple of the wizards, but McGonagall didn't seem surprised at all.

"Well then, Miss Raylan, I was wondering if you would make an appearance. I guess it shouldn't surprise me that you're here."

I chuckled. "I've been spying on the castle every night for a couple of weeks now. I had a feeling this would be the place old baldy would end up. Anywhere in particular you want me, or should I just do my thing?"

"I trust your judgment on this, do what you think is best. Your help is much appreciated."

I nodded. "Not a problem. I've gone this far, I might as well see it to the end. Good Luck to you." I swung back up to the wall and started to climb back up.

"Good Luck to all of us." I heard McGonagall say, before continuing her spells.

I climbed up the wall, avoiding the windows, until a reached a upper balcony. Two identical, redheaded forms stood motionless on it, leaning on the railing. I climbed up onto the railing, perching on it much like a gargoyle.

"Well, hello again my friends."

I could tell by their identical looks that they recognized me from our last encounter.

"Daniella, right?" The one closest to me asked.

"You remember. And you two are Fred and George, correct?"

The twin farthest from me replied. "Yep, Fred..." He pointed to the closer twin. "Any George." He pointed to himself. "Can't say I'm surprised to see you here."

I shrugged. "I've spent too much time participating in the opening acts of this performance to miss the grand finale." I looked out at the growing crowd of opposition across the horizon. "Besides, I think you guys could use the help. It looks like there are more than just wizards standing out there."

"What?" Fred asked, concerned.

"A few very big something besides wizards." I sighed deeply and began to crawl up onto the roof of the building, which was level with the railing on the balcony. I had wanted to avoid taking a full dragon form, considering that one of the side effects of being under 21 years of age was going unconscious for about an hour when you change back to human, meaning I would be stuck as a dragon for the duration, but I saw giants on the other side of the castle wall. As sturdy and magic resistant as I was in my Dracon form, my external armoring could not take a pummeling from a full grown giant. My dragon hide, on the other hand, could take a great deal more abuse.

"Watch closely, boys. You're about to witness something very few of your kind get a chance to see."

I looked around me, making sure I had enough clearance. I then closed my eyes and relaxed my mind. I had only taken dragon form a couple of times in my life, so it was a skill I was still mastering. It wasn't painful, but having one's body expand in such a way took some getting use to. It only took a few seconds to complete the transformation, but I kept my eyes closed, concentrating on the feel of my new, larger body. With a sigh, I opened my eyes and looked at my two friends, whose eyes were opened as wide as they could go.

"That was brilliant." George commented "Can you talk?"

"Yes." I said in a my deep, gravelly dragon voice. "Not as well, considering a dragon's head is not designed for human speech, with the sharp teeth and all, but I can speak well enough." I spoke slowly, doing my best to speak clearly through my teeth. Talking while in dragon form was another talent I would pick up with time and practice.

I looked up at the invisible layer of magic holding out our attacker's assault. "It's kinda beautiful. Absolutely terrifying, of course, but beautiful. How long do you think the magic can hold them back?"

"Hopefully long enough for Harry to do what he needs to do." Fred replied. Both twins were hiding their fear fairly well, considering.

After that, there was very little to be said. The three of us just stood in silence, waiting for the inevitable.

* * *

It could have been an hour or just a few minutes, but we watched as the shield around us began to crumble and seem to almost burn away. I sighed, spreading my wings out as far as I could to stretch the wait out of them. "Well, looks like this is it. Stay safe and good luck to all of us." I said quickly, then jumped into the air.

I flew over the horde of beings running towards the castle. My presence seemed to spook some of the lesser supporters, but not enough to make a dent. I swooped around, making a wide U turn and headed to the narrow bridge where the enemy was converging on the castle. The stone soldiers had cut down one of the giants, but there were three more behind it.

I took aim at the giant furthest back, folding my wings as I plunged down at almost top speed. twisting sideways, so as not to hurt my neck on impact, I slammed into the giant with my right shoulder. It was taken entirely by surprise and tumbled down the steep cliff to the jagged rocks below.

I few of the wizards on the ground were throwing spells at me, but all they did was sting my sides. A minor irritation easily ignored. If only I could breath fire and cook all of them before they mingled with our side. Unfortunately, fire breathing was yet another talent I wouldn't pick up until I reached maturity at 21.

I spun around and charged another of the two remaining giants. This one, however, had witnessed my assault on his counterpart and was ready. He managed to dodge my body, getting a firm grasp on the base of my tail on the way past. I knew I couldn't let him get a solid grip on me, because armored or not, he was big enough to break my bones if he could get his arms wrapped around any part of me.

I did the only thing I could think to do. I wrapped my tail around the giant's arm to firm up the connection and pulled. The giant fell from the bridge, taking me down with him. I used my wings the best I could to slow our descents, without causing damage to their delicate membranes. I looked down, scanning the ever growing ground to find what I needed. Only a few feet from where we were falling was a large, pointed rock. I began to steer us towards it. It wasn't easy, but I managed to position us right above the rock. I then folding my wings in, allowing us to gain extra speed. I was going to have to time this perfectly.

I waited until the giant was almost right on top of the rock, then spread my wings out fully. The slowing wasn't enough to save the giant, whose body was punctured fatally by the rock I had aimed for, but I was slowed enough to roll onto my side before impact. The scales on my side are thickest and they protected me from the rocks, but I still hit the ground harder than I would have liked, knocking the wind out of me and possibly breaking my wing. If I had a broken wing, I'd be stuck until it healed and the fight would be over by then.

For several minutes, I lay on my side, trying to relearn how to breath. Once I got a few gasps in, I rolled onto my feet and began to evaluate my condition. Nothing felt broken, but my side was definitely bruised. Fortunately, my wings were undamaged.

I took a few more shaky breaths, then jumped back into the air, hoping my juvenile healing ability could handle any internal injuries I might have suffered from the fall. I was hurt, but not seriously. At least I hoped it wasn't serious.

Once back on higher ground, I found the one remaining giant amongst the fighting wizards in the courtyard of the school. Around his feet were about a dozen or so giant spiders. I flew over the giant, snagging his club with my mouth, wrenching it out of his grasp. I swung the club around, hovering low to the ground. The impact with the giant's head would have been deafening, if there weren't a war going on around us. The giant fell, crushing three of the spiders on his way down.

The impact jarred my neck too, forcing me to land. The spiders swarmed me, but their fangs couldn't penetrate my scales. Using both my tail and my feet, I crushing them.

I had killed all of the spiders, or so I thought, but one of them who was only half crushed, managed to get its fangs under one of my abdominal plates. I felt the sting of its venom, then felt it tear across my stomach. I jumped upward and managed to crush it the rest of the way, but the damage was done. The venom wouldn't be a problem, but I prayed that my plate would press hard enough against the gash in my stomach to prevent too much blood loss.

It was around this time that old baldy sent a telepathic message of retreat and an ultimatum to Harry Potter. It was only a faint whisper to me, but I heard it. The bad guys pulled out and I dropped to the ground, bruised, bleeding and exhausted.

To Be Continued...

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I have almost 23 chapters written for this story. I just need to revise them before I can post. It sucks having to go to work instead of writing. Oh well, that's life.


	7. Chapter 7

Woo Hoo! Chapter 7 is up! Yay! OK, enough excitement...on with the story.

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**Dani POV**

I lay on the ground, trying to center myself. As a Dragon, I had a very high threshold for pain, but the movies were right about one thing, abdominal wounds hurt.

I opened my eyes and watched as wizards from our side began the gruesome process of collecting the dead. Mustering my strength, I stood and made my way to the front door. It was only opened part way, heavy pieces of rock prevented it from opening more, making it difficult to walk in and out. Using my side, I forced the door fully open, pushing the rocks aside.

"Thanks, Dani." I heard a familiar voice say. Neville stood beside me, looking just as battered as I felt.

"You alright?" I asked, lowering my head so I was eye level with him.

"Fine, you?" He replied, placing a hand on my stomach where some of my blood was starting to leak through.

"I'll live, but I feel like hell." We entered the castle together, but the hall where everyone was grouping was too small to accommodate my size. I positioned myself to the side of the door, so I could look in, but wasn't in the way. I made a pained sound as I lowered myself to the floor gently. I could see the worry in Neville's eyes. "I'm alright, my friend. Go on inside, I'll be fine here."

"Can you not shift back to human?" He asked, concerned.

"Not at the moment. Go on, get in there." I pushed him gently with my nose.

Neville nodded, entering the hall with the rest. I peered in, taking note of the dead. The couple I met during my first deatheater attack in the park lay dead together, side by side. I had heard that she had recently had a baby, a baby who would now never get the chance to know his or her parents. I continued to look, noticing several more of the dead that I recognized. Finally, I came to a rather large family of redheads. I did the dragon equivalent of a sob when I saw that one of the twins I had shifted in front of earlier lay dead as well.

I turned away, laying my head by my side and closing my eyes. I had seen enough.

Things became eerily quiet as I lay there. I heard footsteps heading my directions and I opened my eyes to see Harry walk past me and up the stairs just to my left. I sighed, closing my eyes again. The poor young man had the weight of the world on his shoulders right now. I did not envy him.

A few minutes later, I heard more footsteps coming my way. These stopped a few feet from my head. I opened my eyes and lifted my head so it was eye level with two individuals, a young man and young woman. The man had to be related to the twins, since his hair was the same color.

"Excuse me, you didn't happen to see Harry Potter walk through here?" The woman asked me politely.

The man leaned over to her and spoke to her softly. "You're talking to a dragon, Hermione."

"She's not a dragon, Ronald, she a Dracon. She can understand me."

I chuckled in my gravelly voice. "I understand you quite well. Your friend went up the stairs." I gestured with my nose towards the staircase.

"Thank you." The woman replied and followed her friend's trail up the stairs. The young man followed behind her, still looking at me in amazement.

Once they were out of sight, I stood, feeling strong enough to take a closer look at my condition. I looked down at the ground under me and saw a relatively small amount of the blood. This made me feel better. At least it didn't look like I was going to bleed to death. I still hurt to high heaven, though. The crash landing really did do a number on me. I was going to be feeling that one for days, even with my accelerated healing. If only I were over 21, I'd probably be almost healed by now. My mother was going to kill me.

I laid back down and waited. About fifteen minutes later, Harry came back down the stairs, alone. He started to head towards the door outside.

"Going to meet him?" I asked softly, so only he could hear me in the silence. He stopped and turned to me.

"Yes, I have to. It's the only way." He sounded sad, but not afraid.

"That is a very brave thing to do, little one." I lifted my head, so I was eye level with him.

"You fought for us, didn't you?" He asked, unsure. I simply nodded my head in response.

"Can I ask a favor of you?" I once again nodded.

"I'm sure you noticed the family of redheads." He gestured to the quiet room.

"The one who lost one of their twins?" I asked, confirming.

Mentioning the slain twin made a quick look of pain show in Harry's eyes. "Yes, those are the ones. They are the closest thing I have to family. They mean everything to me. I don't know what's going to happen next, but if you could watch over them for me, you would forever be in my debt."

"Don't you worry. I'll look after your family as if they were my own." Harry looked almost near tears.

"Thank you." He replied. I gently placed my nose on his forehead, right over his scar and he raised his hand to touch my face.

"Good Luck." I said softly as he left the building. He really was a very brave young man. I prayed he'd survive whatever ordeal he had in store of him. Regardless, old baldy was going to die tonight, even if I had to do it myself. He may be powerful with magic, but being bit in half by a dragon would kill anything.

To Be Continued...

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The next chapter will be written in Bill's POV. Thought I'd change it up a little. Hope you liked this one. I'll update soon. The chapters will start to have far more George in them from this point on. Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading.


	8. Chapter 8

Two chapters in one day...damn I'm on a roll! Enjoy.

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**Bill POV**

Everything was happening too fast.

First the battle, then Voldemort calling off the fighting in exchange for Harry, then finding out that Fred had been killed. I couldn't believe that my brother was dead. It all just didn't seem real. I really didn't think it could get any worse when they brought Harry back to us dead, but I was wrong.

Greyback was standing in the crowd of deatheaters, sneering. I had hoped to face him during the battle, to finally get my revenge for the scars he left on my face, but I saw no sign of him during the fighting. Now here he was, gloating with the rest of them about finally killing Harry Potter, like he had done it himself.

I was beyond angry. So much so that I almost missed Harry coming back to life. Voldemort howled and his minions dispersed. Some of them fled, others charged to fight. During the commotion, I lost sight of Greyback, but didn't have time to focus on it, since the fight was back on.

I ran back into the castle, doing my best to keep an eye on my wife and family. I had already lost one family member today, and dammit, I wasn't going to lose another.

The first thing I noticed once inside was one of the deatheaters fighting a young woman. The woman couldn't have been any older than 17, probably younger. She was doing OK, but you could tell she was beginning to struggle. She was going to lose.

I got close enough to the dueling pair to fire off a shot at the deatheater. I managed to hit him in his wand hand, effectively disarming him. I don't know how the exchange ended, since the next thing I knew, I was on the floor and my wand was several feet away.

Laying flat on my back, the wind knocked out of me, I was looking into Greyback's smug face.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? I remember you. Looks like my efforts to kill you were in vain. Oh well, I can give you what you deserve right now." He laughed, enjoying himself.

"You're the one who deserves to die, Greyback. Slowly." I shouted. "You hurt kids for fun. You're a monster. Would be, even if you weren't a werewolf."

"I deserve to die?" He laughed. "You won't live to see the day. Maybe I'll go after the young girl you just saved. She's a little old, but I think she'd still make a good werewolf. Or maybe, I'll just kill her. Enough stalling, you die now."

I braced myself for the killing blow, but it never came. I watched at Greyback was sent flying across the room, hitting the far wall. At first I didn't know what hit him, but then the Dracon marched past, doing her best not to hurt anyone in the enclosed space. It was her tail that had sent the werewolf flying. I scrambled to my feet, retrieving my wand.

The dragon charged at Greyback, growling. Her gravelly voice was filled with anger.

"So you're the one who's been attacking children. You enjoy hurting the young, do you?" She snapped. Greyback shot a spell and her, but it didn't even make her flinch. "You will never hurt another soul ever again!"

She reached out and grabbed the man around the middle in her massive jaws. Greyback screamed as her razor sharp teeth pierced his body. The noise caused almost everyone in the room, regardless of side, to pause and watch in horror. The Dragon rocked her head back and forth, allowing her teeth to slowly penetrate the screaming man.

I couldn't find it in myself to feel sorry for him.

After a minute or so, the Dragon seemed to bore of the game. She bit down hard, not enough to sever the body, but enough to ensure that he was well and truly dead. She tossed his body across the room, making a few spitting noises.

I approached her cautiously. She swung her neck around, lowering her head so she could talk to me, face to face.

"Are you OK?" She asked me, real concern in her eyes.

"I'm fine." I replied, looking to the now very dead Greyback. "He deserved his fate."

"No." She growled. "He deserved worse. If I had been in my Dracon form, I would have stuck him with my stinger. I would have loved to watch him roll around on the floor in agony as his brain melted."

Her words were shocking, but I couldn't argue with her. I would have liked to see that too.

"The only problem I have now is my mouth tastes like werewolf. Yuck." She continued to make small spitting sounds.

"You're not going to have a problem being exposed to so much of his blood, are you?"

She laughed. "Not to worry, little wizard. I am immune to the virus that causes lycanthropy. I'll be fine."

I nodded, then returned to the fight. Before I could get too far into it, though, something strange happened. All the opposition seem to either surrender or disappear. I was confused, but only for a moment, as I watch Harry walk into the caste. He had a look of relief on his face, which could only mean one thing.

"Voldemort is dead." He announced, only loud enough for a few people to hear, but the word traveled fast. Behind me, the Dracon roared, startling a few people. People all around us were laughing and cheering.

I felt very conflicted as I hugged my family. I was relieved and happy that we had won, but heartbroken at the cost of the victory.

But it was over.

To Be Continued...

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Ok, war over. Now the meat of the story can start to begin.


	9. Chapter 9

Here is Chapter 9. Hope you like. Thanks for reading. From here on out, there will be lots more George. Woo Hoo! Enjoy.

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**Dani POV**

I roared with excitement when Harry announced old baldy's death. This wasn't even my fight to begin with, but I was almost as excited as the wizards were at the victory. I wanted to jump into the air and fly a victory lap, but I was in no condition to be flying anywhere.

I was bruised, exhausted from overexertion and blood loss and my mouth tasted like werewolf. An uncle had told me once how horrible werewolves tasted. I was now forced to agree with him. All I wanted to do was go home, shift back to human and pass out for a few hours. Unfortunately, if I was in no condition of do a victory lap, I was definitely in no condition to fly home.

I plopped down amongst the celebrating wizards, trying to sort out my options. Before my sluggish brain could get very far, I was approached by two members of the red headed family. These two were older. They had to be the parents.

"You're name is Daniella, isn't it?" The woman asked cautiously.

"Yes."

"I'm Molly Weasley and this is my husband Arthur. We wanted to thank you for saving our son."

"You are welcome. I'm happy I could help. You are the parents of the twin who died as well?"

Molly looked near tears. She nodded and her husband wrapped his arms around his wife. He was near tears as well. I can't imagine what it would be like, to outlive your own child.

"I'm sorry for your loss. I wish I could have been there to save him, too."

"It's OK, dear. You made an impact on this family, nonetheless, and we are in your debt for it. Is there anything we can do for you?"

"I'm fine, thank..." I paused. Maybe there was something this family could do for me. "Actually, there is something you might be able to do, if you're willing."

"Anything." Arthur replied.

"My problem is that I'm kinda stranded here. I'm too injured to fly home and I can't shift back to human without...complications."

"What kind of complications?" Arthur asked, genuinely curious.

"I'm only 19 years old. Any dracon under the age of 21 will fall unconscious for about an hour when they shift from dragon form to any human like form. I've also fallen off a cliff, got pummeled by a giant and had my stomach ripped open by a venomous spider in the last few hours, so I may end up unconscious for more than an hour. I'm rather leery of being that helpless and unconscious in an unknown area, surrounded by unknown people. If you would agree to take care of me while I'm out, I'd appreciate it."

"Oh dear, of course we'd look out for you. It's the least we could do." Molly replied.

"I thank you. I'm aware that your magic won't be able to heal me, but if you could make sure I don't bleed too much, it would be great. You can't see it from here, since the gash is under one of my abdominal plates, but the wound on my stomach is quite severe. That spider got a lucky strike on one of my few soft spots. The wound isn't bleeding much now, but when I shift, it may open up again. It won't take too long for my body to heal itself, so my life probably won't be in danger, but I'd hate to make too much of a mess."

They nodded. Another member of their family walked up at that moment. I hadn't seen this one before. He was well built, with several burn scars and he smelled of dragons.

I was about to shift when I remembered something important.

"Oh, and when you see me start to wake up, you might want to stand clear. Waking up from a forced unconscious state can be rather...violent. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Not a problem, but thanks for the heads up." Molly replied. "You have nothing to worry about."

I nodded, then let my mind relax. I began to shift, feeling the tear in my stomach reopen. Then the blackness took me.

* * *

**Molly POV**

I watched as Daniella began to shift in front of us. The poor girl. I had no idea she was only 19 years old. She could have been one of my own kids. We would take care of her and make sure she made it back to her own family.

She was only conscious of a moment after turning human. Fortunately, Charlie was ready and managed to catch her before she could hit the ground.

She looked to be about the size of Ginny, with long blue hair. Her eyebrows, eyelashes, and fingernails were also the same shade of blue. She wore a simple T-Shirt and blue jeans and looked like any other muggle, except for all the blue. The exposed skin on her right arm was covered in large, angry looking bruises and the lower half of her shirt was drenched in blood.

"Quickly, Charlie, bring her over by the family and lay her down so I can take a look at her injury."

Charlie did as I asked and placed her gently on a blanket Arthur had spread out for her. The rest of the family watched as I lifted up her shirt. The gash on her stomach was almost 6 inches long, rather deep and was bleeding freely. I quickly transfigured some of the debris near me into bandages and started to put pressure on the wound. To my surprise, it was George who came forward and helped me lift Daniella up enough to tie the bandage around her. Once I was confident that I had curbed her bleeding, I magicked away as much of the blood off her shirt as I could, placing it gently over the bandage.

"Will she be OK." George asked, looking down at the unconscious young woman.

"I think so. She passed out from changing shape, not from her wounds. She knew it would happen and didn't seem concerned about the injuries. We agreed to watch over her until she wakes up."

I looked up and saw Arthur indicating silently that he wished to speak in private. I left George watching over Dani and joined my husband a few feet away. The sparkle of humor my husband usually had in his eyes was gone.

"It looks like people are starting to disperse. I'll take Charlie and Bill with me and...take Fred to the hospital, if you can get everyone else home. Particularly George."

I sighed. I knew it was standard practice to take the dead to the hospital, so formal paperwork could be filled out, but I never thought Arthur and I would ever be taking one of our sons. The thought almost made me start crying again, but I forced myself to control my emotions. I needed to be strong for the rest of the family. There would be time for mourning later, once the remaining family was safe at home.

I looked over to George. I was terribly worried about him. For the first time in his life, he was truly alone. We all felt Fred's loss deeply and we would all need to find our own ways of dealing with his death, but it was going to be next to impossible for George to heal from this. Fred and George barely spent a day apart over their entire lives. None of us would ever be able to understand what he was going through.

I nodded to my husband, fearing that my voice would betray my efforts to control my anguish. I returned to Dani's side as Arthur and our two oldest boys left to do what had to be done. We all watched them go, knowing what was going on. I was afraid George would want to travel to the hospital with his brother, but fortunately he merely watched them leave, then returned to looking over the unconscious Dracon.

"Let's all head home." I announced to everyone. "Harry, Hermione dears, you are both welcome to stay with us as long as you like, of course."

"Mom, how are we getting her back to the house?" Percy asked, motioning towards Dani. "If Dracons are immune to magic, will we be able to apparate with her?"

I thought about it. I had no idea. "Well, let's test it. Stand clear, George." I grabbed Dani's wrist tightly and focused on a spot a few feet away. To my relief, the process worked and both of us showed up at the spot.

"I'll take her. The rest of you I'll see at the burrow." I watched as all my children disappeared, Ginny riding along with Harry. Once everyone was gone, I followed suite and moments later we were all standing just outside the house. Without being asked, George lifted Dani into his arms and carried her to the house for me. I think he was just desperate to do anything to keep his mind off of Fred.

"Where to mom?" He asked, once inside.

"Take her up to Bill's old room. I'll be up in a minute to check on her."

For the rest of the evening the house was very quiet. No one really spoke to each other, we just cleaned up and sat quietly, reflecting on the events of the past 24 hours. George spent the evening watching over Dani, only retiring to the living room when he almost passed out in his chair from exhaustion.

I alone stayed up until Arthur came home. It was almost midnight by the time he and Charlie came in, Bill having gone home to his wife. Charlie gave me a hug, then headed up to shower and sleep. Arthur took a seat next to me, wrapping an arm around my waist.

"That took a long time." I said quietly, my gaze on the cold cup of tea in front of me.

"Almost every family we know lost someone. It's hard to believe." He paused, sounding tired. "Everyone asleep?"

"Yes, or at least pretending to sleep. George is in the living room. He couldn't bare go into his old room. I don't think any of us could." Thinking of George made me start to sob again, but this time I didn't hold back.

I could hear Arthur cry softly as he held me. Finally alone and not needing to be strong for anyone, we allowed ourselves to let go.

To Be Continued...


	10. Chapter 10

**Dani POV**

I woke up slowly, my mind fighting to bring me back to consciousness. Once I was almost awake, my mind began to race. Where was I. I was hurt. I don't know where I am. Am I in danger. Suddenly, I was wide awake, jumping from the bed I was in to press my back again the closest wall. My heart was racing.

Across the room stood a young redheaded girl, maybe a few years younger than me. She looked slightly afraid. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, willing my heart to slow. When I opened my eyes again, the girl had been joined by her mother. They both stood clear of me.

Regaining my focus, I sat down on the bed. "It's OK, I'm awake. I won't hurt you."

"You weren't lying about waking up roughly." Molly said, coming closer and handing me a glass of water, which I took, downing in seconds.

"When I was forced unconscious, my mind basically slipped back a few minutes. I woke up thinking I might still be fighting. It's a relief to see that I'm not." I looked up to her. "How long have I been out?"

"Two days. I was beginning to worry."

My eyes opened wide. "Wow, I must have been more damaged than I thought." I looked down at my stomach, which was now fully healed.

Molly gave me a worried look. "How do you feel? You were pretty banged up, but you seemed to heal up very quickly."

I rolled my neck and shoulders experimentally. I then stood and took a few steps. "Well, I'm stiff, but in no pain. If I had a fully formed immune system, I would have healed up in a few hours, but since I'm still technically a juvenile, my body took a little longer to fix itself. Actually, if I had been an adult, I probably wouldn't have gotten injured at all."

"It was amazing, nonetheless. Are you hungry? I know it's been at least 2 days since you ate and I was just about to make lunch."

I smiled at Molly appreciatively. "I could definitely eat, if it's not too much trouble. I don't want to be anymore of an imposition than I have already been."

The girl snorted a laugh. "Mom's already feeding half the population of the school, what's one more." She came close, offering me her hand. "I'm Ginny, by the way. Youngest Weasley child and only daughter."

"Nice to meet you, GInny." I replied taking her hand. This must be a very big family. I already counted at least 6 kids, including the slain twin.

"Ginny, dear, why don't you take Dani to where she can shower. I'm sure she'll feel better after she gets cleaned up."

"Not a problem, mom." Ginny took me by the wrist. "This way. I'm sure I have some clothes that will fit you."

I allowed Ginny to drag me out of the room. A shower and a change of clothes sounded perfect to me. Who was I to protest their generosity.

* * *

**Molly POV**

I went downstairs to start lunch, relieved that Dani had finally regained consciousness. The entire family had taken turns watching over her. Even Neville and Luna had stopped by to check up on our Dracon. She'd certainly made quite an impact during her time amongst us wizards.

I found the kitchen empty when I arrived. I looked out the window to find everyone outside, sitting in the garden, talking. Ron and Hermione were holding hands. This made me smile. I had a feeling those two would end up together eventually. Same as Harry and Ginny. I was just happy to see them happy.

As I watched, Hermione made a face at Ron and smacked him on the shoulder, causing everyone, including George, to laugh. It had been a fairly somber two days, but it was nice to see everyone could still laugh. This meant we would all be happy again, someday.

Even George.

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To Be Continued... Short chapter. I'll probably post another one right away. I have alot of this story written already. Let me know how you like it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Dani POV**

I once again found myself standing in the back of a funeral, but this one was different. My heart was much heavier. Granted, I didn't know Fred Weasley well, but I had a chance to meet most of his family and I genuinely liked them. His death was a tragedy. I stood in my human camouflage, this time not to hide who I was, but out of respect for the dead. It was Dracon tradition to hide your colors when openly mourning a loss.

It was a nice ceremony. Many people, friends and family, spoke. Many of the tales told brought a smile or laugh to everyone in attendance. This young man had been widely popular and deeply loved.

I waited patiently after the ceremony for most of the crowd to disperse before I approached. Molly spotted me, pulling me into a hug. "I'm glad you could make it."

I smiled at her and her husband. "I didn't know your son well, but it only seemed right that I at least stop and pay my respects. If I may?" I asked, motioning for permission to approach the casket. Molly nodded and I looked down at the deceased. He looked peaceful. I placed a hand on his chest and said a short prayer in dracon.

"What did you say?" Arthur asked.

"It's an old Dracon Prayer, commonly said over people who died fighting in battle. It doesn't translate well into human english, but it literally says, Peace may find you, your death not allowed. Basically, his death wasn't peaceful, but we pray he is at peace now. I thought it appropriate."

"Very nice." Arthur replied. "I think he's found peace."

I smiled at the couple. The worst things always seemed to happen to the best people. I was about to leave when Molly stopped me.

"We're having a little party at our house tonight. Fred wouldn't have wanted us to mourn his loss, but celebrate his life. You are more than welcome to stop by."

"I will." With a final smile, I left the family to say their final goodbyes.

* * *

**George POV**

Fred's funeral was the absolute worst event I have ever participated in. Worse than when I walked into what was left of the great hall and saw him dead. At least then I had shock and adrenaline to help even out the pain. Worse than the last week, being totally alone, even when surrounded by family. At least I had them around to distract me. Today, sitting in the cemetery, I had nothing to feel except my own anguish and no one to distract me from it.

Mom was constantly looking my way, like she was expecting me to break at any moment. I knew she meant well, but her actions only made me want to pull back into myself more. I just wanted to be left alone.

No, that wasn't right. I didn't want to be alone, I wanted my twin back, but since that wasn't an option, being left alone was the next best thing. No one here knew what it was like to lose half of yourself and they never would.

Somehow I made it through the ceremony. I wouldn't be able to tell you who attended it, even if my life depended on it. It really didn't matter. I had said my goodbyes the day before, in private, where no one could watch me fall apart. Now I was just numb.

I left as soon as the ceremony was over. I didn't even wait around to talk to anyone, figured no one would mind. Mom and Dad had a big party planned for tonight, to celebrate Fred's life. It was a sound concept and Fred would have loved it, but I just wasn't in the mood.

I talked to our guests, doing my best to act jovial. I even had a couple of moments where I was genuinely having a good time. It only served to mask what I was feeling, though. At least it stopped my mom's worried looks. After about an hour and a half, I slipped off to the side of the house, where it was quiet and I could be alone.

I leaned up against the house and closed my eyes. I kept repeating in my head over and over 'this will get easier, this will get easier, this will get easier', but I don't think my heart believed me. I was left alone for quite awhile, long enough for the words in my head to start losing meaning.

I heard someone approach and I steeled myself for the inevitable question: How are you doing? How are you holding up? You doing OK? or any other variation. I was tired of hearing it.

I opened my eyes to see Dracon Dani standing in front of me. She looked different, with her long blue hair replaced by a very neutral brown. Her eyes were still the truest shade of blue I had ever seen, though. I could see the sympathy in them.

She smiled at me. "I'd ask you how you're doing, but it seems to me a stupid question to ask someone who just lost a loved one, so I'll simply say, I'm sorry for your loss."

This made me laugh out loud, causing Dani to give me a rather confused look in return. It obviously wasn't the response she was expecting.

"I'm sorry. I was just expecting the 'how are you doing' question. You must be able to read minds."

"Nope, reading minds is not a Dracon trait. Your thoughts are safe."

"Good to know. You leaving?" I asked.

"Yeah. I stopped by to be polite, but I was starting to feel out of place. I really didn't know your brother well, or anyone in your family for that matter. I figured I'd leave before it got uncomfortable."

"It was nice of you to come."

"Your family has been very kind to me."

We stood in silence, neither of us sure what to say.

"Do you know how to use a muggle phone?" She finally asked, breaking the silence.

It seemed an odd question. I shrugged. "Yes, I've used one a couple of times."

"Good." She dug around in the bag she was carrying, pulling out a pad of paper and a pen. She quickly wrote something down and ripped the page out of the pad. She took my hand and placed the paper into it. I looked down and saw it was a muggle phone number. "If you ever need an objective third person to talk to, or someone to listen, or a place to stay, or someone to sit in uncomfortable silence with, give me a call. Day or Night."

I really didn't know what to say.

She smiled at me, releasing my hand. "Take care of yourself." She then turned, taking only a few steps before shifting into her true self and flying away.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	12. Chapter 12

The next chapter is up! Hope you like. There is a little more George in this one. He'll be in this story more and more from here on out.

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**Dani POV**

**Three weeks later...**

It was 2:30 in the morning and I was wide awake. I was tired, of course, but refreshing sleep hadn't found me. It wouldn't tonight.

The nightmares began shortly after everything settled down from the war. I would wake up in the middle of the night, the image of one of the many people I killed flashing vividly in my dreams. I was on a kind of cycle. I'd wake up two or three times a night, getting only an hour of sleep at a crack.

At least I was getting some sleep I guess. Tonight was no exception, so after I woke up to yet another horrifying image, I just lay in bed, awake. If this kept up, I'd have to find myself a hobby to keep myself occupied during the night. Watching the ceiling was starting to get old.

I still lived in the cave community I moved into when I started this whole deal. I stayed at my parent's place off and on, but not often. I didn't want to worry my parents anymore than they already were.

I hadn't told them everything that happened. I figured they didn't need to know all the gory details. However, they did know something was off. I was different, they just didn't know why. My dad didn't push. He had fought in a war a long time ago and was a career soldier before he retired. He knew I'd talk about what happened when I was ready. My mom, on the other hand, wanted details now and my silence infuriated her.

After the first few days, my father actually stepped in on one of my mother's inquisitions. He managed to convince her that trying to force details out of me would only push me further away. From then on we had a workable, if not totally comfortable, truce.

I was left alone with my nightmares.

It wasn't a surprise that my subconscious mind wouldn't let me off the hook for the things I did over that year and a half. Did I feel guilty for the lives I took? Not particularly. Was I wrong to kill all of those humans? Probably not.

My conscious mind was solidly in that gray area where murder is justified if it's during war and was done to save lives, but my unconscious mind saw only in black and white, so to it, I was a murderer. Sometimes it sucks to have a conscience.

My internal analysis was interrupted by my cell phone ringing. I was on my bed, in the dark, the only light coming from my alarm clock, which read 2:46 AM. I rolled over to my bedside table and picked by my phone.

I didn't recognize the number, but if someone was trying to call at this hour, it had to be important. Or, it might be a drunken misdial. I took the gamble and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

The other end was quiet for a minute, but then a tentative voice replied.

"Dani?"

"That's me. Who is this?"

There was a hesitation.

"It's George Weasley. You gave me your number a few weeks back."

"Of course. What's wrong, George?"

"I'm sorry to call so late, but I just didn't know who else I could talk to."

"It's ok, I told you to call me day or night and I meant it."

"Can you meet me someplace?"

I didn't even have to think about it. I wasn't going to get any more sleep tonight anyway, and if he was calling me, then he must really need help. "Sure, where?"

"Do you know where the leaky cauldron is?" He asked, hopeful.

"Sure."

"Great. Do you know the little park just north of it?"

I smiled. That was the park where I killed my first deatheater. Good times. "Yeah, I know it. I can be there in like 25 minutes or so. Where in the park are you?"

"There's a bench on the northern end."

"The northern end, got it. I can find you by smell when I get close. I'll see you in a few."

"Thanks, Dani." George said, then hung up.

I was almost thankful for something to do besides count the lines on my ceiling. I quickly got dressed, then shifted and started to fly to the park. The air was cool and it helped my mood just being out in the night air. Twenty minutes later, I arrived at the park, using my nose to guide me to George's location. I found him just where he described, alone on a park bench just on the edge of the trees.

I landed and shifted forms as I approached him. He looked up and smiled as I took a seat next to him.

"Thanks again for coming. I'm sorry it's so late."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Not a problem. I was awake anyway. What's up?"

"I've done my best to deal with my grief and move on with my life." George leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "And I think I've done very well. I've got the shop up and running again with help from my friends and family. I go to Sunday dinner at my parent's house every week. I'm not avoiding people. I'm actually damn proud of my progress so far."

"Sounds like you're doing well. Where's the problem?"

"The problem is everyone else around me. Every time someone who knew Fred sees me, they give me this flash of recognition, like they think for a moment that I'm Fred. Then, a second later, when they realize that it's me, they give me a look of sympathy. It's driving me crazy. I mean, I can't blame them, I see Fred every time I look in the mirror, but I wish people would learn to stop reacting the way they do. I've actually snapped at a few people and that is just not me. I don't know what to do."

I took his hand and squeezed it. It sounded like he was ready and willing to move on with life, but his family and friends were making it hard on him.

"I'm not really looking for a solution from you. I just needed to vent. I know everyone will get over it eventually, but I'm just hoping I'm still sane by then. Everyday is a struggle as it is. I've been a twin, a part of a pair, since the beginning. I don't like being alone. I don't like this. I can only pray that it gets easier." A few tears ran down his cheek.

I continued to hold his hand, allowing my head to rest on his shoulder. We sat in silence for several minutes. I then got up, and pulled him to stand with me.

"Let's walk." He didn't argue. We began to walked around the edge of the park, holding hands.

"I wish there was something I could say to make this all better for you." I started, leading him at a slow, meandering pace. "And I wish I could understand what you're feeling, but since I'm an only child, I never will. Hardly anyone will. But there is one thing I know for sure. It will get better. This feeling will never fully go away, but it will get easier. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about your friends and family. They probably have no idea they're even looking at you the way they are. With time, the looks will stop."

George sighed. "I know. I have to admit that I do feel better just talking about it out loud with a real person."

"Sometimes the best solution is just to step away for a few moments."

We continued to walk in a comfortable silence. He seemed to feel better the longer we walked and, surprisingly, so did I. After about thirty minutes or so, George finally broke the silence.

"Can I ask you something?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Sure."

"When I called you, you seemed very awake. Are you normally up this late?"

I sighed. "I haven't been sleeping well since the war. We all have our demons and mine seem to think I'd do better with less sleep."

"You want to talk about it?"

I thought about it for a minute. I wasn't really ready to open up about my nightmares. "Not really. Maybe someday, but not yet."

"Well, if you need someone to talk to, eventually, you can talk to me." George offered, squeezing my hand reassuringly.

Suddenly, a thought popped into my mind. "Hmm, Interesting." I said more to myself.

George looked over at me. "What?"

"It's nothing. I was just thinking that the possible solution to my problems might also be a solution for yours."

"And what solution might that be?" George asked, interest in this voice.

"My parents own a house in the US. I was thinking I might move out there for a while. Get some separation. My mom wants to know what happened over the last year and a half and I've been very reluctant to tell her." I stopped and looked at George. "If you'd like to come with me, you would be more than welcome. I have no idea if a little separation would make your situation better or worse, but it's an option."

George was silent. You could tell the wheels were turning in his head.

"You don't have to give me an answer right now. Just think about it."

We continued to walk, the quiet of the early morning walking with us. The sun was just starting to rise when George finally stopped us. He turned me so we were looking at each other. In my human form, I was only an inch or two shorter than he was. He leaned in and kissed me on the cheek.

"Thank you." He pulled me into a hug and I returned it. "I feel better. At least a little."

"I'm here for you, my friend."

We pulled apart, for the first time in hours not touching each other in some way.

"I should get home. I'll think about your offer."

I smiled. "Just give me a call once you decide. Take all the time you need. I'm in no hurry to leave. And if you need me again, remember, day or night."

George nodded, then he seemed to spin in place and was gone.

I yawned and stretched. I looked up at the sky, watching as it got lighter and lighter. With a sigh, I shifted and started for home. I did feel better than when I started the night. I could only hope that George did too.

We both had long roads ahead of us and I had a feeling that neither of us would be traveling those roads alone.

To Be Continued...


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 is up. Enjoy! And please write a review of this one if you have a moment. I really do base my stories on how people receive them. Haven't gotten much back on this one yet, but I still have high hopes for it.

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**George POV**

I sat alone in the back room of the shop Fred and I loving called our lab. This was where we developed all our new products. It was a secure room, magically seals so only we could enter. These days, this was my sanctuary. I could sit back here and not worry about being interrupted by anyone. It wasn't that I was hiding, I just couldn't stand the looks anymore.

It had been a week since I met up with Dani and we had our talk. Talking with her really did help me feel better, but it didn't help make the looks stop. I wasn't sure what I was going to do about the looks. They were starting to make me develop a temper and I didn't like being that person. I didn't like being angry. I wanted to go back to being the lovable goofball, but I had no idea how to get there. I just didn't have much to laugh about, now that my sounding board was gone.

I heard a pounding on the door. I groaned, laying my head on the table in front of me. It had to be Ron... again. I was thankful for his help with the shop, but he had so many questions. Questions, that if he took two seconds to think about, he could answer on this own.

The knock came again. I was just about to yell at the git when I heard Hermione's voice come from the other side of the door.

"George, can I come in?"

Hermione had been one of the few people who didn't give me the look. She had been a good friend during all of it and I was happy Ron had finally pulled his head out of his ass long enough to tell her how he felt. She had always been like a sister to me and as along as Ron didn't screw it up, she would eventually be my sister. The thought made me smile. I pulled out my wand and removed the charm keeping everyone out.

"Come in." I said, not bothering to lift my head up.

Hermione came in, closing the door behind her. He gave me a quizzical look.

"Are you alright?" She asked, taking a seat next to me.

I groaned again, wrapping my arms around my head. "Not really"

I felt her place a hand on my back, rubbing gentle circles.

"I've noticed that you seem to be getting further from your old self with time, rather than closer."

"I'm guessing you heard about my little outburst with Percy yesterday." My brother was by far the worst of my family when it came to the look. Yesterday, he had caught me at a bad moment and I had screamed at him for something stupid. I honestly don't remember what. Figures that Hermione would be the one to confront me on the mean streak I had developed. I think the family must have put her up to it. They knew I couldn't be mean to her.

"Ron told me. It's not like you to raise your voice like that. I'm worried about you. We all are."

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, sitting up in my seat to look her in the eye. "I'm just tired of it, Mione."

"Tired of what?" She asked, genuinely trying to understand.

I stood, pacing around the room. "Tired of everyone looking at me like I'm a broken toy. Like any moment I'm gonna crumble apart. I think I'm dealing with this very well, dammit. You don't know how hard it is, opening this shop everyday, knowing Fred's not here. Or going to dinner every Sunday, knowing Fred won't be sitting next to me. I could just stay in bed twenty four hours a day, but no, I'm forcing myself to keep moving, praying every morning that today will be the day it will get easier! That today will be the day it stops feeling like someone shoved a red hot poker through my heart!"

By this time, I was shouting and fairly positive that everyone in the shop could hear me.

Hermione did nothing. Just sat with a even expression, listening to me vent. She did pull out her wand and cast a silencing charm on the door, so any further meltdown would be just between us.

"Feel better?" She asked, not moving from her seat. I could see concern in her eyes, but she was doing her best to give me room to move and say what I needed to say.

I scoffed, running my hands roughly through my hair, then chuckled, because I realized that I did feel better. "Yeah, I do."

She got up from her chair and wrapped me into a hug. "For the record, George, I think you're doing a phenomenal job dealing with Fred's death. You just need to vent once in awhile, talk about how you feel to someone willing to listen. All that pent up anger is making you snap at people and snapping at people only makes them worry more."

"Or, instead of talking, I could lock myself in the lab for a few weeks. Do you think people would miss me? I won't have anger to vent if I don't see anyone." I was only half joking. Truth was, I had been seriously considering Dani's offer. The people around me needed time to deal with Fred's death and I desperately didn't want to be around during that time. Not anymore. I was having a hard enough time as it was without having to deal with everyone else's pity.

Hermione laughed, only hearing the joke in my words. "Of course we'd miss you, silly. You know I'll always be here when you need to vent. I don't take the yelling personally."

"Thanks, Mione. That means alot." I released her from the hug. "You should probably get back out there, before Ron starts to think something's going on back here."

Hermione laughed. "It would be just like him to think something silly like that."

I gave her a hurt look. "I'm offended. I'll have you know that I am highly doable!"

We both burst out laughing at this one. Rolling her eyes, she left the lab. She always did know how to cheer me up.

It took me a few minutes to regain my composure enough to think straight. Once calm, I took a seat and thought about the options in front of me. I could stay here and utilized Hermione's offer to let me vent to her or I could run away with Dani and let the rest of the world recover without me as witness.

Decisions, decisions.

To Be Continued...


	14. Chapter 14

Not getting many reads on this story, but I'm still plugging along with it. At least I like it! LOL Enjoy.

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**Dani POV**

I sat outside at a small table in front of my favorite cafe, a coffee in my hand. Across from me was my best friend, Cari. I had just told her everything that happened during my time with the humans and she now had a worried look in her golden eyes.

I had decided to tell her everything, since she was my best friend and also because she was a gold Dracon. Gold Dracons were traditionally more open minded than the other colors. My hope was that she wouldn't judge my actions too harshly and I knew she'd keep everything I told her to herself.

"Wow, I don't know what to say. I mean, I didn't even know you were capable of such things." She said calmly, taking a sip of her espresso.

"To be honest with you, neither did I, but after I was attacked by the same people twice I just figured I needed a more permanent solution. Trust me, the world is much better off without those losers in it."

"So, you did the world a favor?"

"I look at it like that, yes." I sighed heavily.

"Well then, if you truly believe you've done nothing wrong, why are you not sleeping?" Before I could answer her question, she answered it for me. "It's called a guilty conscience, love, and you have one."

I hated to admit it, but she was right. As evil as the people were that I killed, the fact remained that I killed them. Their blood was on my hands. I looked up at Cari. I didn't have to admit to her that she was right, since the look on her face told me she already knew it. Thankfully, she decided to change the topic.

"Anyway, are you still going to move out to the US? I thought you were planning to finally go to school to get that psychology degree you've been planning on since you were 10.

"I'm still gonna do that, I'm just going to take some time off first. Get away from my parents for a while. Maybe learn to meditate or some other holistic healing crap like you keep telling me about."

Cari swatted me on the arm. "It's not crap. I'll have you know, my Aura is clean. I'll lend you some books about meditating and cleaning your Aura for your time away. They'll do you some good, just wait and see."

This was one thing we didn't see eye to eye on. I had a very logical, scientific mind, while Cari was a believer in healing one's body through things such as Auras and energy cleansing. Give me scientific data that her methods worked and I'd believe. Of course, I was almost willing to try anything to make my nightmares go away at this point. If it meant I'd have to go through some Aura cleansing ritual, then I was almost ready to try it...almost.

"I'll take the books with me. I can't promise I'll read them, but I'll at least take them."

Cari snickered. "Trust me, once you go long enough without a good night's sleep, you'll be willing try anything. You wait and see."

I just rolled my eyes and continued to drink my coffee.

"So, is the human going with you?" Cari asked, giving me a mischievous look.

"Don't know yet. He hasn't gotten back to me. It's a big decision for him. He'd be leaving his very large, grieving family behind. They are a part of the problem he's having, but they're also part of his support system."

"Is he hot?" She asked with a completely straight face. She took being hot very seriously and thought others should too.

I almost snorted my coffee. "For crying out loud, Cari. I didn't invite him to stay with me so I could jump him! The man just lost his twin brother. That's a pain very few people in this world will ever feel. I can't imagine being with someone since day one and almost everyday since and suddenly lose them."

"I was just asking." She replied, taking another sip of her drink. I was beginning to think she really didn't need the extra caffeine right now. "It's a valid question."

"Besides.." I continued. "...forgive me for not noticing his hotness while I have the faces of murdered humans flashing through my dreams."

"Well, I can't think of a better way to forget your troubles, at least for a few hours, then a nice romp in the sack. It could be a temporary solution for both of you."

"You would know." I said, kind of meanly, but she deserved it.

She placed her drink down on the table and took both my hands. "Exactly! I know these things. Besides, you gotta give it up sometime and this way you could tell me how sex with a human is. Of course, you have nothing to compare it to, but still."

Somehow our conversation devolved from current news to my sex life, or lack thereof. Cari knew full well that I was a virgin and liked to point it out to me as often as she could. She conveniently forgot that I spent the last almost 2 years fighting a war. Not like there was much time for socialization. Besides, I'm only 20. It's not like I'm an old maid yet.

"Low blow, Cari, low blow."

She honestly look sorry. "Sorry, Dani. My mouth works faster than my brain sometime. It's your fault for letting me get espresso."

We both laughed and the serious discussion was over. We ate lunch, talking about much less serious topics. We were on dessert when my phone rang. It was buried at the bottom of my bag, so it took me a few tries to find it."

"When did you start burying your phone at the bottom of your bag? You use to carry it out."

"I lived around magic users for almost two years, they don't use phones, remember?"

A look of recognition appeared on Cari's face as I managed to find and answer my phone before it stopped ringing.

"Hello?"

"Dani? Hey, it's George."

"Well, hey. I was just wondering how you were doing."

"I'm fine. Still hanging in there. I just wanted to talk to you. Can we meet up at the same place as last time, in about an hour?"

"Sure, I'll meet you there."

He hung up and so did I.

"Was that the human?" Cari asked. She wasn't raised with as much of a tolerance for humans and I was. She didn't hate them, but she didn't talk about them as equals either.

"His name is George, Cari, and yes, it was. He wants to meet up with me in an hour."

She sighed. "Well, at least you'll finally know for sure if you're leaving or not."

"Don't look at me like that. You know if I do leave, that I'll be back in less than a year. I've got to be home for my burning when I turn 21."

I got up from the table. It would take me almost an hour to get to the spot in the park, since I couldn't travel the usual way in the middle of the day, in the middle of a city full of humans.

"That's right!" Cari squealed, jumping up from the table and hugging me. "You'll be 21 in just under a year. You'll be joining us adults." She wiped a fake tear from her eye. "I'll be so proud. Ah, I remember my burning..."

I slapped her on the arm. "Stop that. You're only 2 years older than me."

She gave me a big smile and I could only smile back. Cari was a nut.

We said our goodbyes and I got into my car to meet up with George.

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To Be Continued...


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 is up. Not sure if anyone is still reading this story, since I've been very spotty with my updates, but if you are, I hope you enjoy. Alot more George from here on out. Let me know what you think.

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**George POV**

I sat on the park bench, enjoying the sun and cool breeze as I waited for Dani to arrive. I figured I'd get there before her, since I could Apparate in the middle of the day, while I was guessing she'd have to get here using Muggle transportation. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. It was nice and quiet here. I was actually starting to doze off then I felt Dani sit next to me.

"Comfortable?" She asked.

I opened my eyes and looked at her. In her human disguise, she looked like any other muggle, wearing jeans and a dark blue shirt.

"It's a good thing you got here, I was starting to fall asleep. It's so nice out today."

Dani closed her eyes and tilted her head up towards the sun, sighing contentedly. "It is indeed."

We sat quietly next to each other for several minutes, just enjoying the weather and each other's company. I think she was waiting for me to start. I sensed that she didn't' want to push me into talking before I was ready.

"Thanks for coming out. I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I was already out having lunch with a friend. It wasn't an inconvenience at all."

I nodded, even though she had her eyes closed and couldn't see it.

"I've been thinking about your offer. If it's still good, I think I might want to take you up on it."

See opened her eyes and looked at me. "Really?"

"Yeah. It's been pointed out to me that I've become a bit crabby around people, as of late. I think it would be best for me to make myself scarce until the people around me recover enough to stop giving me the look we discussed before. Or I recover enough so the look doesn't bother me anymore. Either way, I just don't want to snap at someone and burn a bridge I might regret later."

"In that case, the offer is still good and we will leave when you're ready. We might, however, need to discuss travel method, since you're coming with me. I was planning on flying myself over there, but trust me, riding a dragon for that long would not be pleasant for you. We can't fly using muggle airplanes either, since I'm guessing you don't have a passport or even a driver's license."

"You would be correct. I could Apparate there in a few jumps. It would be the fastest way."

Dani groaned. "I was afraid you'd say that. That particular form of wizard transportation freaks me out a bit..."

Before I could comment on the fact that I was very good at Apparating and that it would be safe for her, she continued.

"...I'm sure it would be fine and it does make the most sense, but It still freaks me out."

I laughed. I couldn't help it. Here was this strong and powerful Dracon, who took on giants during the war without blinking and she was scared of Apparating. After a few second, she joined my laughing. It took several minutes for us to compose ourselves.

"Stop making fun of me." She said playfully, clearing her throat of the remaining laughter. "Anyway, are you planning on telling anyone you're leaving?"

I nodded. "Yes. I may be frustrated with my family, but I still love them. I couldn't just up and leave without letting someone know. I wouldn't do that to my parents. They've gone through enough as it is. I'm not sure if I'll tell someone in person or not, but I won't just disappear."

Dani smiled. "Good. I was going to insist on it. I don't know your family well, but they seem like good people. I'd feel bad if I took away their son without even a note. You don't have to tell them where you're going or who you're with, but at least let them know you're gone."

"Agreed." I replied. "I have a few things to take care of before we go, but I should be ready in a week or so. I'll give you a call when I'm finished, then you can decide when we leave."

"Sounds like a plan." She agreed. "I have a few things I need to do before we leave, as well. A week should be good. I'll wait for your call. If you need anything before then, let me know." She got up and stretched. I followed suit.

"This is so exciting. I've really been looking forward to a change and I think this will be good for both of us."

She was practically bouncing. Her enthusiasm made me smile.

"I sure hope so. I'll talk to ya soon." I looked around me, giving Dani a final wave goodbye and stepped a little further into the woods and disappeared.

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To Be continued...


	16. Chapter 16

Good Morning all you wonderful readers. Here is an update. I'm not writing this story as fast as some of my others, since I haven't had as much response to it. I'll still keep working on it, of course, but it might take longer to finish, since I'm not getting the proper motivation and I'm easily distracted. (I think they call it Shiny Object Syndrome! LOL)

Anyway, on with the show...

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**Dani POV**

"Absolutely not!" My mother said forcefully. "When we agreed to let you stay at the vacation house, we didn't know you'd be taking a man with you."

I threw up my hands in frustration. "What's the problem with it? He's a friend, who happens to be male, that needs help and this trip might help him. You wouldn't be giving me this much trouble if it was Wyatt going with me."

Wyatt was the son of my parent's best friends. He was a couple of years older than me, but we had grown up together. Secretly, my parents and his had made an arrangement for us to be married when we got old enough, since arranged marriages were fairly commonplace among Dracons. I got wind of their plans when I was 15 and threw a fit. Wyatt was like a brother to me and the idea of being his mate kinda made me nauseous. Fortunately, neither set of parents fought me on it and the plans were canceled.

"Of course we wouldn't complain if you took Wyatt with you. We know Wyatt. We trust Wyatt. We don't know this human."

I eyed my mother, then my father, then my mother again. "That's it, isn't it. It's not the fact that George is a guy that bothers you, it's that he's a human."

Both my parents were silent.

"That's it. You don't want me shacking up with a human. For crying out loud! His twin brother just died! He's not looking for a hook up! I thought you two would have more common sense that!"

My father stood up from his seat. "Take it easy, young lady. You will not speak to us like that."

I cringed. It was very unlike my dad to raise his voice, only doing it when I overstepped my bounds. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I'm sorry." I said sheepishly. "I'm just frustrated that you don't trust me."

This deflated my dad slightly, but he was still upset. "It's not that we don't trust you, it's just we don't want you getting hurt."

I rolled my eyes. "He's human, dad. I'm stronger and faster than he'll ever be, even with his mastery of magic. He can't hurt me, even if he wanted to."

My mom took my hands. "We know he can't hurt to physically, we mean emotionally."

I scoffed. "I'm already hurt emotionally and so is he. That's the whole point to all of this!"

My mom looked over at my dad and they had a nonverbal exchange. My mom sighed loudly and I knew I had won.

"OK, here's the deal. We'll let you take the human with you, but just know that we can stop by, unannounced, at any time."

"Go right ahead. It's your house, I'd expect nothing less." I hugged my mom, then my dad. "Thank You for letting me do this. When I come back, with any luck, I'll feel like I'm ready to tell you about what happened while I was gone. I just need time. This will be a good thing, you'll see."

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**George POV**

I sat quietly in the lab, waiting for Hermione to arrive.

I was just going to leave a note for my family about my coming departure, but thought better of it. If I talked to someone face to face, then they wouldn't waste their time looking for me. Of all the people I knew, Hermione has always been the most reasonable. Besides, it didn't put up any red flags for me to request a private moment with her. I had confided in her many times over the last few weeks.

She politely knocked on the lab door when she arrived. I let her in and made sure to put the charm back up to prevent anyone else from entering. I also put up a silencing charm to prevent eavesdropping. Hermione gave me a funny look, but didn't ask questions. She simply took a seat and waited for me to say what I needed to say.

"Thanks for coming, Mione."

"You know I'll always be here if you need someone to talk to."

I smiled, taking a deep, calming breath. Here goes nothing.

"I'm taking a little trip and I was wondering if you'd help keep this place going while I'm gone. Most of the products are easy to make, but I'd feel better if there was someone responsible looking out for things."

"Trip? Where are you going? When will you be back?"

"I can't tell you." I said, looking away from her.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Can't or won't?"

"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure where I'm going or how long I'll be there, so I can't tell you what I don't know. But, even if I did know, I wouldn't tell you. I just need to leave for a while."

"And you plan to be gone long enough that the store might need to be restocked and you want me to make sure the produces are made correctly."

I nodded.

"I'll take care of anything you need me to, or course, but I don't understand why you're going."

"I just need to go, Hermione. I'm slowly turning into someone I don't like and I need time alone to find the old me again. I've tried. I've really tried to learn how to live without Fred with the family around and I know now that I just can't do it. I need time to myself to sort things out. I need to do it before I lose the old me completely. I was just going to leave a letter, but I was afraid some of the family might try to find me. I don't want anyone to worry while I'm gone or waste time trying to find me when I don't want to be found."

"And there is nothing I can do convince you to stay?"

"I need to do this, Mione. I just ask that you keep this to yourself until after I'm gone. If you wait until this Sunday, you can tell everyone over dinner. I should be well on my way by then." I walked up to her and placed my hands gently on her shoulders. "Tell the family that I will come back. I promise."

Hermione got up from her seat and hugged me. "You just be careful, OK? It's been hard to adjust to Fred being gone. I don't think any of us could take losing you too."

"You won't lose me. Just tell everyone that I love them and I'll come back when I find myself again."

I could only hope I wouldn't have to be gone too long to find him.

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To Be Continued...


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